Thai Spicy Basil Chicken Fried Rice

"This is a staple of Thai cooking. Adjust the spices to your own tastes for a really great use for leftover rice!! I get the basil from a local Asian market. It has a different flavor than that of regular basil and makes all the difference in this recipe. It is fast and fairly easy to make, but requires constant stirring."

Directions

Whisk together the oyster sauce, fish sauce, and sugar in a bowl.

Heat the oil in a wok over medium-high heat until the oil begins to smoke. Add the garlic and serrano peppers, stirring quickly. Stir in the chicken, bell pepper, onion and oyster sauce mixture; cook until the chicken is no longer pink. Raise heat to high and stir in the chilled rice; stir quickly until the sauce is blended with the rice. Use the back of a spoon to break up any rice sticking together.

Remove from heat and mix in the basil leaves. Garnish with sliced cucumber and cilantro as desired.

Most Helpful Positive Review

Dec 22, 2007

I am a connoisseur of Thai Basil Chicken dishes, and this recipe is my favorite with a few modifications.
I added 2 tblsp soy sauce to the oil/pepper/garlic after frying a bit. You should also add the fish/oyster sauce at this point before adding the other ingredients or it won't absorb evenly into the food - you'll probably get some bites that taste fishy. I also halved the oyster and fish sauce since the smell was...well..terrifying. With that amount it added perfectly to the flavor but wasn't a noticeable/dominant taste at all (no one would know it is in there). It's important to use fresh garlic. I also prefer to chop the chicken after slicing (or use ground chicken) so it absorbs more of the flavor.
The hardest thing about this recipe is finding the Thai basil (different from Italian), I found it in an Asian market. You can substitute stir fry or wide rice noodles for the rice if you prefer. If you use wide rice noodles, it's best to chop them up a bit so they absorb the flavor.
Wonderful recipe - I'm so excited I found it! This will be a weekly recipe in my house!

Most Helpful Critical Review

Yummy! I'm a vegetarian who doesn't eat fish products--so I substituted fish sauce for soy sauce, and substituted oyster sauce for a mushroom stir-fry sauce I bought at an asian market. Instead of chicken, I added some delicious fried tofu.
Great recipe!

This is a great recipe. Here are my recommended changes: 1) Use 4 to 8 Thai "bird's eye" chili peppers instead of serranos. 2) Add the bell pepper when the chicken and onion are nearly done cooking so it won't overcook. 3) You can change the flavor of this dish a lot depending on when you add the fish/oyster sauce. Add it before the chicken and it will lose most of its characteristic Thai flavor. Add it a couple minutes after the chicken and you will keep some of the fishy Thai flavor. Or, add it with the rice as instructed here and you retain a lot of the fishy flavor!

I did what one reviewer suggested and added the fish sauce and oyster sauce in the oil for a bit before adding the chicken. This is an old trick my mom uses to take the strong fish smell out of the fish sauce. I also had to add two extra cups of rice since it was quite wet. I'll have to try seafood or beef next time. Excellent dish!

This recipe had very genuine thai flavor. Instead of sugar I substituted a bit of honey and only used a drizzle of oil to cut back on the fat. I also used brown rice and added a few handfuls of sugar snap peas to increase the serving size without increasing the calories by much. Excellent recipe and I can't wait to share it with all of my friends

As is, this recipes is just so-so. With a few modifications, it can be great! I use soy sauce instead of oyster sauce and I add a few extra tablespoons of it - but that's just a personal choice. What makes a HUGE difference is using real Thai chilis instead of serrano peppers. I personally use five chilis, but I like it REALLY hot so normal people may want to use 2 or 3. I also cut the oil in half, added 1/4 tsp of salt, and added sliced shitake mushrooms. Awesome!

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.